


Darkfest (short story collection)

by CatherineParker



Category: Legend of the Seeker
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-05
Updated: 2013-05-22
Packaged: 2017-11-13 15:34:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 1,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/505021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatherineParker/pseuds/CatherineParker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is made of this.</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. The worst form of torture

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is made of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Denna/Kahlan

"Your lips are trembling Kahlan."  
  
With a small hint of curiosity playing across her features, Denna looks down at her from her position above, meeting Kahlan's gaze, the physical exhaustion straining her voice into a nearly breathless whisper.  
  
"Tell me why."  
  
Pale skin of her chest is glistering with a fine sheen of sweat, shoulder blades lift off the damp sheets. Moaning loudly, Kahlan forces herself more urgently down on Denna's hand between her legs. The dark sheets are soft against her bruised skin and Kahlan wonders how and when her life has changed from endless, agonizing pain to blazing pleasure. Deep down, in one of the darkest corners of her mind, which she tries to tell herself doesn't exist anymore, Kahlan knows, she shouldn't enjoy the feeling of Denna's fingers pushing inside her, that she shouldn't moan like a whore at every thrust.  
  
"Is it because you enjoy what I am doing to you?" Denna breathes against her neck, her tongue drawing a pattern over salty skin. She already knows Kahlan's answer to her question, but she wants Kahlan to say it out loud.  
  
Kahlan only nods, writhing against Denna’s body, while her hands reach behind her, seeking the wooden headboard for more leverage. Denna murmurs her consent, when Kahlan’s legs close around her waist, pulling her tighter and her fingers deeper inside. Denna still trains her, but not as viciously as before. Not since Denna has realized how to break her, and so she does, every night.  
  
"Mother Confessor," Denna thoroughly enjoys the wince crossing Kahlan's features at the title, the pained expression that brings the brunette back to a reality she wants so badly to dismiss, "tell me how much you want this. Tell me .. how much you want me, how much you want to please me.."  
  
Unshed tears brim in her eyes, but Kahlan can't lie to Denna anymore, only because it would be easier that way and the words are more moaned than spoken, "more than anything." With a loud groan, Kahlan's nails dig into the wood of the beds headboard, as Denna shoves her roughly over the edge,  
  
When she comes down from her high and her breath begins to even out, Kahlan realizes that when Denna makes her beg for her touch and it feels like Kahlan is drowning in her own shame of what has become of her, that no slap of Denna's Agiel could ever bring her as much pain. Her Mistress is a clever woman; Kahlan studies her, as Denna wipes the wetness on her fingers off at Kahlan's stomach.  
  
Denna has chosen the worst possible form of torture that there is: making her want it.

 


	2. Let's pretend nothing changed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cara/Dahlia

"Do you remember?"

It takes some time before Cara comes around shifting in and out of the white cloud of consciousness. Her face hurts and her eyes disobey her command to open at her demand. The stringent, metallic taste of blood in her mouth makes her stomach churn and nausea to rise heavily in her throat. Her chin rests against her breastbone, the hard cuffs of the chains cut deep into her skin at her wrists. She had forgotten how hard it is to breathe while chained up.

"Do you remember Cara?" Dahlia's voice is sweet and soft, lulling her into a cocoon of false hope to survive this charade unshattered. Dahlia is her Achilles' heel to another life, a life long lost, and yet so inexorable approaching.

Dahlia's gloved hands are on the sides of her face, caressing her in a lovingly gesture, as if she knew how to feel.

Cara knows.

After a while, her eyelids crack open, seeking the steely grey of Dahlia's eyes. The other Mord'Sith is close and it's so easy to get lost in her familiar scent, the features she knows since childhood.

"Don't you remember that..." Dahlia's voice breaks.

"That once we were one?" Cara asks, her tone hoarse, "I do."

Slowly Cara leans forward, her lips claim Dahlia's, and for a moment, Cara just pretends nothing has ever changed.


	3. Just this once

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Denna/Cara

"Hold me."

If she had looked up, Cara could have seen the surprise in Denna's eyes shining brightly back at her, but she chooses not to meet her eyes. Her gaze stays trained to the floor.

Time passes, days blur into weeks easily with the same routine every day. The temple is quiet lately and all that keeps her sane are the hours she spends with Denna. The thing between them is different to all she ever had with one of the other sisters, with Denna, she feels something. And has no idea how to handle that.

"Just this once."

It's not more than a whisper, but Cara's throat pains at every single word. She has no idea where it's coming from but she knows it needs to get out.

Piercing blue eyes just stare at her and Denna's face has yet to show any of her thoughts. They stand alone in the platinum blonde Mord'Sith's quarters, waiting in suffocating silence until Denna makes up her mind.

It's not at all what Cara has expected, when Denna steps finally closer. An embrace full of tenderness, neither of them is truly ready for, so gently, so lovingly, that it brings burning tears to Cara's eyes. She can feel Denna press up against her but she falters for a moment before finally daring to put her arms around the other Mord'Sith. Her eyes close, when she inhales Denna's familiar scent, feels the blonde's warmth soak through her leathers. And finally, she truly feels at home.

"Emotions are weakness, Cara," Denna breathes against her cheek and her skin begins to tingle. "But I'll teach you." 

A moment later, all Cara feels is the sharp, stunning pain of Denna's Agiel pressing against her temple and her world turns pitifully black.


	4. Moments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Denna/Kahlan

"Don't make me wait, Confessor."

It's not far in the evening of yet another day or at least Kahlan assumes that it is. She can't remember the last time she's felt warm sun-rays on her skin or heard birds chirp ancient melodies off the trees.

Richard is gone - and with him, he took her fire, all of her fight. She doesn't know what has happened to Cara or Zedd.

Sometimes, in the dead silence of the night she can hear a woman scream in the distance. There are moments when she wonders if it's Cara's voice. In other moments, she just doesn't want to know.

"I can tell that you want to.. _End the fear, Kahlan. End the pain._ "

Denna's breath brushes softly against her ear and Kahlan shivers at the faint contact. A contact that is for once not the tip of blonde Mord'Sith's Agiel.

" _End it now,_ " Denna whispers.

Times of fights and resistance are long over. Kahlan knows this, as does Denna. The chains rattle slightly as Kahlan arches her back as much as she is still able to get the feeling back to her limps. The moan of agony is not to hold back as the pain spreads from her arms all the way to the tips of her toes.

Denna laughs, then captures Kahlan's lips with her own, hard, brutal, wanting. When they break apart, it comes so naturally to her tongue, that Kahlan wants to hate herself, but can't find the strength, "Mistress."

Kahlan knows that it is exactly this moment, sealing her fate.

A quiet, private moment between a Mistress and her pet.

The moment when the Mother Confessor, and Kahlan, cease to exist.


	5. Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Denna/Richard

I close my eyes and in my dreams, I am back in the depths of her dungeon, where the chains cut deeply in my skin and I am completely at her mercy.

It has been months since then, and still I hear her voice each passing night.

In every waking moment, I try so hard to forget, and yet, I cannot stop but fear the day when I cease to remember and her voice will be forced forever into silence.


	6. Wish you could stay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cara & her son

The child is a boy; she knows it will not live to see the day.

In the limited moments she can hold him, she lets herself enjoy the way his tiny hand curls around her finger.

And for the fraction of a second, she wishes he could stay.


	7. Take Me Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cara / Denna

Cara eyes the bright shining moon with a scowl on her face. 

Clouds pass by their only light source ever so often, shrouding them in complete and disturbing darkness. The wetness on her bare hands slowly begins to dry in the breeze, leaving a sticky sensation behind as she flexed her fingers in a nervous attempt to calm her ragging thoughts. 

The forest around them is eerily quiet and Cara can’t shake off the feeling that eyes are carefully watching, waiting for them to make a fatal mistake. In the distance a branch snaps with a cracking sound and Cara’s head whips around as her eyes peer into the unforgiving darkness. 

A strangled cough brings her back to the present, her companions face unnaturally pale in the flicking light of the moon. “Let’s move on.” Denna coughs again, the crackling sound in her lungs when she tries to inhale, Cara notices, gets louder with each deep breath the blonde takes.

The had let go of the horse hours ago to move faster and now Cara realizes, it had been a foolish decision. Turning around, she squats down and supports herself with one hand on the forest ground as the other reaches for Denna’s still form. The ground beneath her fingers is unnaturally wet and the substance that now covers her hand again feels shockingly warm. 

After a moment of hesitation, Cara lifts Denna up into her arms, cradling her head in her hand, leaving a distinct red trail on her skin and platinum blonde hair. Denna’s whisper is almost inaudible now and Cara strains to hear Denna's words, unaware then, that it'll be her sister's last, 

_“take me home.”_


	8. Chances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Denna

Whatever it is that makes you step aside, you will never know. It’s just one step, which in the end saves your life.  
  
May it be the sound of a branch breaking under human weight or the scream of the eagle circling over the abyss with strong beats of its wings, you don’t recall.  
  
A second passes then the arrow swishes at - and past you. It’s missing your shoulder only by a hair's breadth and wavy blonde strands get rustled in its way.  
  
Blue eyes follow its flying path, locking with a pair of sea green orbs.  
  
You can see the scowl on Cara’s face even from the distance. Despite the recent assassination attempt, a smile plays at the corners of your lips, hiding the nervousness and the sudden powerful and erratic beating of your heart from prying eyes.  
  
Long distance shots, regardless of the hours of incessant practice, had never been one of Cara's talents.  
  
Once upon a time you had her over the blood pit in a glorious training session for her failure. You remember it had been raining on that day. The dungeon was stifling hot, the air thick with moisture running down in droplets off the stony walls. Yes, you remember it quite well and even fondly, as your eyes fall inevitably to the spot, where hidden beneath layers of gleaming red leather lies the scar you’d placed there, one that even after all these years must still mark Cara’s side.  
  
Cara catches you staring and by the look of how her eyes seem to narrow, you’re sure she hasn’t forgotten that day either.  
  
The wind catches in your hair and the old wizard seemingly comes out of his shock and steps forward, calling out to his friends to lay down their weapons.  
  
He claims you have changed, that he saw it in your eyes.  
  
And while you stand there, waiting for Cara to finish the job, you’re surprised to find yourself wanting to believe him.


End file.
